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143 reviews for:
Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America
Alec MacGillis, Stefan Alexander MacGillis
3.9 AVERAGE
143 reviews for:
Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America
Alec MacGillis, Stefan Alexander MacGillis
3.9 AVERAGE
A scathing and exceptionally well researched critique of Amazon's many destructive practices. The structure of the book, while initially seeming a bit confusing, few in power as the author allows the reader to connect the dots between the behavior of Amazon and the robber barons of yesteryear.
There were occasions when I found the shifting character studies a bit disruptive. By breaking up the individuals stories over the course of the book I felt the author sacrificed some of the impact of relating the entire trajectory of a person in a continuous segment. That said, I grew accustomed to it and accepted that it was a stylistic choice that matched the overall presentation.
There were occasions when I found the shifting character studies a bit disruptive. By breaking up the individuals stories over the course of the book I felt the author sacrificed some of the impact of relating the entire trajectory of a person in a continuous segment. That said, I grew accustomed to it and accepted that it was a stylistic choice that matched the overall presentation.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
A great read. Everyone who orders from Amazon and makes one click shopping part of their daily lives should read this book if only to see what actually goes on there.
A few thoughts:
1. It's more than the title: it's about America's workforce in general, and the conditions that allowed Amazon to flourish and the conditions left behind by its dominance.
2. One of the most interesting aspects was getting to know Bezos/Amazon's philosophy undergirding its behemoth success.
3. I felt the author was too quick to blame Amazon for some societal problems and did not explore the issues in government spending that cause them/exacerbate them. I wish he would have explored the issue more as a lot of what he touched on were government problems and not Amazon problems, though I guess that's not what the book is about. Individual readers can work out the political problems for themselves.
A few thoughts:
1. It's more than the title: it's about America's workforce in general, and the conditions that allowed Amazon to flourish and the conditions left behind by its dominance.
2. One of the most interesting aspects was getting to know Bezos/Amazon's philosophy undergirding its behemoth success.
3. I felt the author was too quick to blame Amazon for some societal problems and did not explore the issues in government spending that cause them/exacerbate them. I wish he would have explored the issue more as a lot of what he touched on were government problems and not Amazon problems, though I guess that's not what the book is about. Individual readers can work out the political problems for themselves.
This book is a must read for every American. If you care about small business, if you care about community, if you care about the future of our democracy and if you care about maintaining your agency you need to read this, and then cancel your prime membership and help build back your community and support local business.
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
It felt like I was never going to finish this book. This is a book I kind of wish I’d read in print rather than in audio. The first 2/3 were something of a jumble with the chapters seeming to jump from individual histories to specifics about Amazon. I have not seen the printed version but wonder if different fonts are used for the different sections. (Audiobooks have highlighted for me how important visuals are to my reading.)
In spite of my problems keeping the story and characters straight, the book makes its points: Amazon and on an even bigger level, the concentration of wealth in any sphere is a huge problem for our society. If you can read this book and not question your use of or dependence on Amazon, you have a problem.
In spite of my problems keeping the story and characters straight, the book makes its points: Amazon and on an even bigger level, the concentration of wealth in any sphere is a huge problem for our society. If you can read this book and not question your use of or dependence on Amazon, you have a problem.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This is 4th or 5th book I have read on the Empire of Amazon and two were written by workers. So I was amused to read in this that anyone who works there has to sign that they will keep everything confidential not publish not write for the public....
I am amused to read a couple of the reviews that these readers basically say that the Author doesnt really say anything about the dark side of Bezos and the machinations of the business. So I think these people are reviewing some other book or they read bits and pieces
This is very revealing and the author does nothing to protect Amazon nothing. It is not just about various Amazon workers and their "stories" altho that is included. This is about a voracious business model that has succeeded in spades. It is about a whitewash and focuses on one of the sicknesses of our nation the importance of wealth and power and the unimportance of human lives
I myself buy nothing from Amazon for many years tho I did buy few items years past. I buy from ebay sellers and from time to time they try to slip me an Amazon item which I return and it just happened.
I want to thank Alec MacGillis for doing this research and this writing and taking that risk ---
Judy g
I am amused to read a couple of the reviews that these readers basically say that the Author doesnt really say anything about the dark side of Bezos and the machinations of the business. So I think these people are reviewing some other book or they read bits and pieces
This is very revealing and the author does nothing to protect Amazon nothing. It is not just about various Amazon workers and their "stories" altho that is included. This is about a voracious business model that has succeeded in spades. It is about a whitewash and focuses on one of the sicknesses of our nation the importance of wealth and power and the unimportance of human lives
I myself buy nothing from Amazon for many years tho I did buy few items years past. I buy from ebay sellers and from time to time they try to slip me an Amazon item which I return and it just happened.
I want to thank Alec MacGillis for doing this research and this writing and taking that risk ---
Judy g
Just never locked in. Not sure why. Might come back to it later.
Using Amazon as a framing device for a broader exploration of inequality and stagnation in 21st-century America is a brilliant idea, and executed really well here. Sometimes the comparisons between old-school industrial behemoths like Bethlehem Steel and Amazon seem to veer into the territory of nostalgia, which is a bit perplexing since such companies weren't exactly the picture of corporate benevolence, but overall I found this compelling, infuriating, and informative.
DNF 25%. I felt like this was ALL over the place. I was genuinely looking forward to learning with this book on how these industries have impacted the US but I was so lost on the very jilted back and forth anecdotal stories and how the author was trying to correlate everything that I felt like I wasn't comprehending anything at all.